Matt Ioannidis is a happy man before the 2019 NFL draft.
Ioannidis and the Washington Redskins agreed to a three-year, $21.75 million extension a week before the draft, keeping the budding defensive lineman in town for an extended period of time.
Naturally, he had plenty to say about it.
“It’s incredible,” Ioannidis said, according to Kyle Stackpole of Redskins.com. “Really thankful to the owner and the organization.”
He made sure to credit those who helped him break out, too: “A lot of it has to do with the coaching and teaching of Coach Tomsula and the strength staff down there on the bottom floor. Coach Chad [Englehart] and Coach Kevan [Latham] and Jake [Sankal] have been instrumental in the success of the D-Line.”
And break out Ioannidis has. The fifth-round pick in 2016 has tallied 12 sacks over the last two seasons and 30-plus pressure in each.
Now a core component of what the Redskins want to do up front — on top of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne — Ioannidis isn’t going anywhere. The Redskins got him wrapped up on an extended deal right in the middle of his prime at 25 years old, cementing the defensive core for years to come.
